Ronaldo ‘very depressed’ after girlfriend leaves him

DPA Rio de Janeiro, May 1 (DPA) The nightmare launched by a sex scandal involving transvestites is not yet over for Brazilian striker Ronaldo, who is reportedly “very depressed” after girlfriend Maria Beatriz “Bia” Anthony left him. Brazilian media reported Wednesday that the Milan forward left Rio de Janeiro Tuesday and went to a house in the exclusive resort of Angra dos Reis where he was said to be staying in the sole company of his mother, Sonia Nazario.

Columnist Bruno Astuto said in the daily O Dia that Bia Anthony decided to end her relationship with Ronaldo Monday after the transvestite Andre Albertino - better known as “Andreia Albertine” - accused the striker of not paying for her sexual services and of taking cocaine in the company of three transvestites at an hourly hotel late Sunday in Rio.

Police commissioner Carlos Alberto Nogueira, in charge of the case, has appeared convinced that Ronaldo was the victim of a robbery and an attempted extortion. Employees of the hourly hotel have confirmed the player’s version of events.

Ronaldo, 31, has stressed that he took the “girls” to the hotel without knowing that they were in fact transvestites and that when he found out he gave up on the idea of spending a night of sex with them.

He allegedly offered to pay them $600 in compensation, but “Andreia Albertine” declined the offer and demanded instead $30,000 in order not to tell the media about the incident.

Ronaldo’s advisors said in a statement Tuesday that the striker did not take drugs and was “the only victim” in this case.

However, these arguments do not appear to have convinced Bia Anthony, 23, a beautiful engineer with postgraduate studies in France who previously dated current Formula 1 driver Nelsinho Piquet.

Anthony had been in a stable relationship with Ronaldo since early 2007 and lived with him in the striker’s house in Milan since late last year. In early April, she accompanied Ronaldo to Rio so that he could continue his treatment to recover from the knee surgery he underwent in February.

The loss of his girlfriend - if confirmed - could not be Ronaldo’s only problem as a result of the scandal. Brazilian daily Extra said Wednesday that the striker also risks losing a lucrative contract with Nike.

The daily noted that Ronaldo’s contract with the US sportswear company includes a clause that would allow Nike to break it if the striker got involved in incidents that might damage the brand’s image. DPA